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Listenbee: Ms. Shenandoah, on behalf of the Department of Justice I would really like
to thank you for joining the task force that's been established by the Attorney General to
look into the issue of children's exposure to violence for American Indian and Alaska
Native children. We would like to thank you and Senator Byron Dorgan for joining us in
this enterprise.
Shenandoah: Well, thanks for having me. What
an honor—an amazing honor. Thank you.
Listenbee: It's our pleasure, certainly. Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Shenandoah: Well, I’m Oneida Iroquois.
My dad was a chief, my mom was a clan mother, and they brought me up in a very powerful
way in that they nurtured my gifts and talents and, in the Iroquois way, that is what we are
supposed to be doing. And so it’s had a profound influence on me as I’ve travelled the world
and had a chance to do some very amazing things through music. One of the things that
I love—and always treasured doing—is being able to help raise the esteem of children
everywhere—not just in Native Country but also in Native Country here in America.
As you know, there‘s an epidemic, and it’s really caused some serious issues for our children.
I want to do all that I can to help change that.
Listenbee: Wonderful. Can you tell us a little bit about your music? How do you find the
music itself, and the words that are part of your music?
Shenandoah: Well, in the Iroquois way, we believe that we have what are called guardian
angels—our ancestors, who kind of watch over us …
Listenbee: Wonderful. Shenandoah: And so I put myself in a place
where I ask for the music to flow. Sometimes, people, very famous, call me up and say, “Hey,
can you finish a song for me?” Y’know, I’ve been so blessed to have been on stage
with some of the most famous people in the world and had a chance to sit next to Beyoncé
during the Grammys … Listenbee: Wow, that sounds exciting!
Shenandoah: … and I’ve been nominated three times … Listenbee: Terrific!
Shenandoah: … and finally won the Grammy and have a lot of music awards. But, to me, it is
not the music awards that really define who you are as a human being. So we all have a
place and a purpose on the Earth—and a right and a responsibility—to those unto seven
generations from now. So my culture is very, very strong, and I believe that I can help
make a difference. Listenbee: That's really exciting. Can you
tell us about the kinds of issues that you think you want to focus on while you are a
member of the task force? Shenandoah: Yes. I really believe that children
across Native America are having difficulty finding their place, or where they belong,
or perhaps they don't know what they're supposed to be doing with their life. I've
been working with the Tribal Policy Institute for 6 years and helping to identify people
in the crowd who, y’know, need someone to tell them, “You are a good person, you do have
a voice, you are a human being who deserves to live on this planet —and without fear—but
to be who you are as a natural person, to live in harmony and balance.” And so these are
things that I love to do, and I try to use music as a healing force.
Listenbee: How are the young people here responding to your message?
Shenandoah: Oh, some of them are like, “Oh, do you think I can really do this?” And I’m
like, “Of course you can!” It is a matter of finding those people in your community who
are willing to reach out to you and help. Because, sometimes, it appears to me that our
communities are broken, our families are broken … the line of communication is extremely difficult.
We’ve forgotten how to talk to each other. The prophesy is that this would happen
to us—we would become like a poor bird with a broken wing … and if we nurture that wing,
we nurture that little special being, that gorgeous little child, they can really make
a difference on the Earth. And we saw those children today.
Listenbee: Yes, we did. Shenandoah: I was so moved by that presentation.
Listenbee: One of the issues that one of the children talked about today was suicide on
reservations. Can you tell us a little bit about your thinking on that issue?
Shenandoah: Yeah, I think it is difficult no matter where you go on the reservation
road. Every single family has been affected. Listenbee: Wow.
Shenandoah: I would say that everyone knows someone. Listenbee: That extensive?
Shenandoah: Yes. In my own family we've had suicide. There’ve been so many people—
young people—that end their life tragically via drugs, alcohol, or just ending their life
because of violence, and something that has happened to them may not be under their control.
But what I want to do is to help teach these children that there is another way. They can
actually find a place. They can rise up from where they are … that there are people who
believe in them and will reach out to them.
Listenbee: That's wonderful. What additional
message do you have for young people that you really want them to hear?
Shenandoah: Well, you know, I think a lot of young people are waiting for someone to listen—waiting
for someone to believe in them and to tell them that they can have a future. And I say this
about children all over the world. Many of them are living in very difficult conditions—
whether they are hungry or lonely or just don’t feel like there is
a way, I’d like them to know that there could be a way for them. And, with the task
force, this is one of my main missions: to get the word out there and that we want to listen.
That’s why we are going to have the hearings. We want to hear from people—their experience,
and how we can help heal that experience.
Listenbee: Many of the young people are not
living on reservations. In fact, they are living in cities across the nation. Do you
have a message for them, or do you have specific issues that you want to focus on for those young people?
Shenandoah: Well, I'd like those young people
to look at this Web site [on screen: Justice.gov/defendingchildhood]—for the Department of Justice and the task force—
to see what kind of work they are doing and also to reach out to us. Sometimes, maybe
the 800 number for suicide isn’t good enough, you know what I mean? It’s just a number
… and maybe there is someone on the other end who will listen. But I’m hoping there will be
more programs for young people—to engage them, to find out what their talents are, to nurture
their talents and their gift, whether it be sports or music or drama or art or …. Our Native
people are extremely gifted when it comes to the arts.
[Joanne Shenandoah singing, “We will rise up … we will rise up … we will rise up … and see … the way … “]